Coin-controlled machine



v P. 0. SMITH com CONTROLLED ucanli:

und June 2, 19225 s shanty-shat 2 Oct. 6, 1925- P. c. SMITH com CONTROLLED mourns Filed June 2', 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITE i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PERCY C. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. ASSIGNOR T0 JOHN F. MEYER, OF CHICAGO,

' ILLINOIS.

COIN-GON'IEOLLED MACHINE.

Application filed June 2, 1922.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY 0. Storm a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Machines. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin controlled machines and has for an important object to provide novel means for limiting the period of operation of the machine that can be secured with a single coin.

A further object of the invention is to permit ready exchange of views in a picture exhibiting machine.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description is read in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a selected embodiment of the invention and in. which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a stereoscopic picture exhibiting machine embody-- ing the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical secton of the machine taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is asimilar section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a similar section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are detailed sectional views taken on the lines 55, 66 and 77 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, the machine in cludes a cabinet comprising the bottom 10, front 11. back 12 sides 13 and 14 and the top members 15 and 16. The front 11 is equipped with a panel P supported in suitable guides as illustrated at 17 and held in position by a screw or other fastening 18. Behind this panel is supported suitable advertising material or instructions for operating the machine. The top is somewhat roof shaped and the top section 16 is equipped with a prism glass or other transparent panel 19 adapted to throw light on a card or picture held in the position marked A in Fig 2. The sides 13 and 14 are also equipped with similar panels 20 and 21 in position to throw light on the same card. Thev roof section 15 is equipped with any suitable form of stereoscope or the like 22 arranged in position to afford proper vision of the card in position A. v

The views to be exhibited are carried on i the false bottom 35 of the cabinet.

Serial No. 565,292.

a series of holders 23 pivotally mounted on hubs 24 fixed to a shaft 25 which is adapted to be rotated to bring the views successively into exhibiting position. The arrangement of the pivots 26 of the holders 23 is such as to limit the swinging movement of the holders as illustrated in Fig. 2 and a pin 27, suitably supported in the path of the holders serves to obstruct the movement of each holder as it approaches the position indi cated at B until it has been sprung sulficiently to snap from the position B to the position A by a quick movement. A suitable support 28 is fixed to the back 12 and equipped with a cushion on which the edges of the card holders rest when in the position A.

The shaft 25 is mounted in a suitable support 29 here shown in the form of a rectangular frame having a wide base 30 adapted to seat between the overhanging guides 31 and 32. The lower corner of the frame is equipped with a lug 33 through which a bolt 34 is passed to secure the reel support to A wing nut 36 screwed on the lower end of the bolt is located within the coin compartment 37 closed by the door 38 which is controlled by the lock 39. The coin compartment is formed by inserting the false bottom 35 between the front and back and sides at a suitable distance above the bottom 10.

The side 13 is equipped with a panel 40 having at its lower end a rib 41 which seats in a groove 42 in the false bottom 35, and carries at its upper edge a lock 43 having a bolt 44 adapted to secure the panel in place.

By mounting all of the mechanism for operating the shaft 25 and the coin chute on thispanel, it is possible to have practically all the functioning parts of the machine supported so that they can be readily dismounted for inspection, adjustment or repair. The one end of the shaft 25 is equipped with a bar 45 which is adapted to be engaged by pins 46 on a ratchet 47 pivoted at 48 on a plate 49 which is spaced from the panel 40 by suitable means 51. The ratchet 47 is adapted to be engaged and driven by a pawl. 53 pivoted at 54 on the lever 55 carried by the shaft 56 which is journalled in the panel 40 in alignment with the shaft 25. The shaft 56 has an operating lever 57 on the outside of the panel and a downwardly extending lever 58 on the inside of the panel which is connected to a spring 59 that normally tends to hold the parts in. the retracted position indicated in Fig. 4. The pawl 53 is weight ed at the free end 60 so as to normally hold the driving end '51 out of engagement with the teeth 62 of the ratchet 47 The difference in weight between the free end and the driving end of the pawl is small enough to be overcome by a suitable coin 63 when it rests in the position indicated in Fig. 4. lVhile the coin is in this position the operating le ver 5'? may be moved intermittently forward and backward and it will engage the driving end 61 with successive teeth 62 of the ratchet 47 which will drive the shaft 25 through pins 46 and the bar 45 to carry the holders 23 successively into the exhibiting position marked A in Fig. 2.

It is necessary to have the coin 63 automatically removed from the light end of the pawl 61 whena suitable period of rotation has been accomplished by the operation of the lever 57. This is conveniently done by mounting a spring 64 in the path of the pins 46 so that as the ratchet 47 is rotated the spring 64 will be pressed to the left in Fig.

4 until the pin slips off the end 65 when the spring will return with a snap and afford suflicient energy to drive the coin from the solid line position shown in Fig. 4 to the dotted line position from which it descends vby gravity into the coin compartment 37.

Preferably a striker 66 is interposed between the spring 64 and the coin 63; and in a convenient teii'm' it is an L-shaped bar such illustrated in Fig. 4 pivoted at the upper end on the screw 67 and having the lower short end lying" normally between the spring 4 and the coin ('33. In the operative position. the pawl 61 is slightly inclined so that the coin rests directly against the striker 66 and is therefore in position to immediately receive the blow of the spring after it has been released from the driving pin 46. Reverse rotation of the ratchet 47 is prevented by meanso't a pawl 92 pivoted at 93 and yieldingly urged against the ratchet by a spr ng 94. v

The coins for operating the machine are inserted through a slot 68 in the cover piece 15 and descend into the mouth 69 of a coin chute 70 which communicates at its end. with another coin chute 71 having a curved passage shaped to direct the coin into the solid line position shown in Fig. 4. This chute also has a passage 72 through which the coin is projected by the striker 66 and this passage terminates in alignment with the slot 73 leading into the coin compart ment 37. Preferably the chute 71 is made in the form of a grooved support 74 covered by a detachable plate 75 held to the back of panel 40 by the screws 76. In case of any obstruction within the coin chute the screws 76' can be Withdrawn and the plate 75 removed thereby entirely opening the passage leading through the chute and permitting it to be easily cleared or repaired.

The coin chute '30 may be an integral part the cover side and makes it possible to provide simple means for preventingoperation ofthe machine by a coin oi smaller size than that intended to be used. This is accomplished by cutting a slot 83 in the cover 79 of suitable length and of a depth somewhat less than the depth of the passage 82. In the form shown in Fig. 7 the slot is just small enough to prevent a penny from passing out to the left as it goes down the chute. By removing the plate 84 secured to the cover 79 by the screw 85 the opening is 111M101 suiiiciently large to let a penny fall out. When the plate 84 is removed the machine will not be operated by any coin smaller in diameter than a five cent piece. A similar construction and arrangement can be made to provide for selection of any suitable coin. From the foregoing it will be clear that T for machines oi this character. The operative mechanism together with the views or cards or other devices are all in a compartment controlled by the panel 40 which is secured in place by the lock 43 and the key to this look can be intrusted to persons whose duty it is to inspect the mechanism, change the set of pictures and do such other routine work as may be found desirable. The coins collected by the machine are retained within a separate compartment which is controlled by a special lock 39, the key to which is retained by the owner or licensee of the machine so that he can make accuratecheck of the receipts.

It is particularly advantageous to have provide a very convenient construction' the coin chutes and all the operating mechanism mounted on the removable panel 40 so that practically every part that willneed repair adjustment or replacement will be made accessible by merely operating the lock 43 and slipping the panel out of the cabinet. It is also very advantageous to make the chutes in the form of grooved plates with removable covers so that any obstruction in a chute can be quickly cleared by taking off the cover and operating directly on the obstruction. I have also facilitated the inspection and clearing of the chutes by providing a series of slots or openings 88.

The selector device for detecting and throwing out coins smaller than that intended to operate the machine is very simple and effective and permits a ready adjust ment for different coins.

By mounting the reel in a quickly detachable support as shown in 29 it becomes very easy to exchange sets of pictures or other devices exhibited in the machine. Sets from one machine can be exchanged with sets from another and new sets can be made up in the shop or office and readily exchanged for the ones in the machine.

The mechanism controlled by the operating lever 57 is very simple to operate and permits the unskilled customer to examine each picture or other device as long as he desires without danger of passing it out of view until he is ready for the next. To insure that the lever 57 is not operated any further than necessary in either direction, I have provided the panel lO with a plate 89 carrying a pair of spaced stops 90 projecting into the path of the lever. If desired similar stops on the plate 49, and engaging lever 58, can be used in addition to, or in place of, the stops 90.

By making the top of the cabinet in the roof form shown and providing the prism glass or other light transmitting panels 19,

= 20 and 21, it is possible to properly illuminate the cards or pictures in the exhibiting position A when the machine is placed in the open or in a brightly lighted building. In addition this roof shape provides for the convenient location of the lens devices 22.

I am aware that changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the invention, as set forth in the selected embodiment herein, without departing from the scope or sacrificing any of its material advantages, and I therefore reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a picture exhibiting machine, a rotatable reel carrying pictures, means for rotating said reel comprising a pair of driving elements normally disengaged, but adapted to be brought into engagement by a coin, means for directing a coin into pos1- tion to cause said engagement of said driving elements, and means for displacing said coin and operated by said rotating means.

2. In a picture exhibiting machine, a rotatable reel, means for driving the reel with a step by step motion, coin controlled means for effecting a driving action between said driving means and said reel and thereby starting said step by step motion, and means for automatically releasing said coin con trolled means by said driving means, thereby discontinuing said step by step motion.

3. In a picture exhibiting machine, a rotatable reel, means for driving said reel including a pawl and ratchet, a coin chute adapted to direct a coin into position to cause said pawl to engage with said ratchet and means operated by the driving of said real for dislodging said coin at the end of a selected period.

4-. In a picture exhibiting machine, a reel, means for driving said reel including a pawl and ratchet, a coin chute adapted to direct a coin into position to cause said pawl to engage with said ratchet, and resilient means operated by the movement of said ratchet for dislodging said coin.

5. In a coin controlled machine, a rotatable reel, a ratchet for driving said reel, a pawl normally disengaged from said ratchet, a coin chute adapted to direct a coin into position to cause said pawl to en gage with said ratchet, means to ope-rate said pawl, a striker for dislodging said coin and means operated by the rotation of said reel for operating said striker.

6. In a coin controlled machine, a ratchet, a pawl to operate said ratchet and normally out of engagement therewith, means for guiding a coin to engagement with said pawl, said pawl adapted to be held in engagement with said ratchet by said coin, means to operate said pawl, and means operated by said ratchet to displace said coin from said pawl.

7. In a coin controlled machine, a rotatable ratchet, a pawl adapted to operate said ratchet but normally out of engagement therewith, means to guide a coin to said pawl, the weight of said coin on said pawl being adapted to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchet, means to operate said pawl, a striker to displace said coin from said pawl, and means on said ratchet to operate said striker.

8. In a coin controlled machine, a rotatable ratchet, a pawl adapted to operate said ratchet but normally out of engagement therewith, means to guide a coin to said pawl, the weight of said coin on said pawl being adapted to hold said pawl in engagement with said ratchet, means to operate said pawl, a striker to-displace said coin from said pawl, a spring adjacent said striker, and a pin on said ratchet adapted to actuate said spring to operate said striker.

9. In a coin controlled machine, a cabinet, one wall of said cabinet comprising a detachable panel, a pawl and ratchet carried by said panel, said pawl normally out of engagement with said ratchet, coin controlled means carried by said panel for bringing said pawl into engagement with said ratchet and means carried by said panel for dislodging said coin.

10. In a coin controlled machine, a cabinet, one wall of said cabinet comprising a detachable panel, a pawl and ratchet carried by said panel, said pawl normally out of engagement with said ratchet, coin conengagement with said ratchet, coin con- 10 trolled means carried by said panel for bringing said pawl into engagement with said ratchet, means carried by said panel for dislodging said coin, a handle on said panel for operating said pawl, and stops to 15 limit the movement of said handle.

PERCY G. SMITH. 

